Electric mattress pad



May 31,1960 B. "r. SULLIVAN E'I'AL 2,938,991

ELECTRIC MATTRESS PAD Filed Oct. 1, 1957 Jaw/ 3? & fiMUaZ/Wmf 1 Cm.

United States Patent ELECTRIC MATTRESS PAD Bemell T. Sullivan, Muskegon, Mich, and Howard C. Abbott, Chicago, Ill., assignors to Candace, Inc., a corporation of Illinois Filed Oct. 1, 1957, Ser. No. 687,383

Claims. (Cl. 219-46) This invention relates to an electric mattress pad and more particularly to a pad which may be readily manufactured in a simple and economical manner. The new pad embodying the present invention is constructed so that the pad has substantial stiffness and is free of any tendency to bend wires sharply and thus minimizes the danger of fracturing wires.

The new pad embodying the invention generally provides a pad having a large number of seams for stiffening the body of the pad. The new pad has a large number of passages therethrough for accommodatlng heating wires and thus makes it possible to vary the footage of the wire substantially without any change in the original pad material.

In accordance with the present invention, a pad having a large number of lines of parallel stitching provides pockets some of which cooperate with other pockets in the pad for accommodating heating wire. The new pad makes it possible to utilize conventional sewing technique without imposing any undue requirements and thus results in an article which is sturdy and economical to manufacture.

In order that the invention may be understood, reference will now be made to the drawing in which an embodiment is shown. Referring to the drawing, Figure 1 is a plan view with certain parts broken away of a mattress pad illustrating the present invention.

Figure 2 is a section along line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section along broken line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Mattress pad 19 may consist of two layers of fabric 11 and 12 disposed in face to face relationship. Layers 1 1 and 12 may be of cotton or similar woven material and if desired may have some padding between the same. The entire pad is provided with edge binding 15, the same consisting of a tape of cotton or the like enclosing the edges of layers 11 and 12. In order to obtain a neat seam, the edge of the tape may be turned in.

Pad is provided with rows "18 of stitching disposed at intervals of about an inch to provide pockets 20. In the new pad embodying the present invention, the rows are laterally of the pad, this being the dimension across the length of the bed from head to foot.

In order to electrify pad 10, strain relief panel 22 is stitched to one corner of the pad at the head end of the bed. This is where the pillow may be provided or where the head of the person will be located. Strain relief panel 22 has electric cord 24 suitably attached thereto by means approved by Underwriters Laboratories to prevent cord 24 from pulling out. Cord 24 may be provided with a control switch not shown and will have the usual plug 25 for insertion into a wall receptacle of a conventional 110 volt supply line.

Line cord 24 is adapted to supply electricity to the heating element disposed in pad 10. The heating element generally consists of flexible wire having a plastic coating thereover and is widely used in electric blankets and the like. Such heating wire may run from three 2,938,991 Patented May 31, 1960 ohms per linear foot up to as much as ten ohms per linear foot depending upon the wattage and the amount of wire to be used. While the drawing does not show this, it is possible to provide thermostats in the pad for controlling the supply of current through the heating wire.

In accordance with the present invention, one length of heating wire, generally indicated by 27, extends from strain relief panel 22 longitudinally of the pad adjacent pad edge 26. Length 27 of the heating element is disposed against the outer face of the fabric layers making up the pad, in this case, layer 12. When length 27 reaches transverse pocket 28 of the pad, material 12 is slit and the heating element passes through the silt into pocket 28 and transversely across the pad toward other pad edge 30. In order to maintain length 27 in position upon the pad, tape 31 is stitched longitudinally of the pad to provide a pocket into which wire 27 may lay. Tape 31 is preferably woven bias tape with the threads running substantially at 45 to the length of the tape. Tape 31 is provided with at least two rows of stitching 32 and 33 on opposite sides of wire 27 and thus cooperates with ice fabric 12 to provide a longitudinal pocket for the wire.

The stitching is interrupted, where it would normally cross the heating wire.

The portion of the heating wire within transverse pocket 28, said wire being indicated by 35, is pulled upwardly through slit 36 in fabric 12. Thereupon longitudinal portion 37 of the heating wire is laid on the outside of layer 12 of the pad, said portion of the heating wire extending toward the head end of the pad for any desired distance. As illustrated here, a number of intervening transverse pockets are transversed by wire length 37 until transverse pocket 38 is reached. Wire 37 thereupon extends through a slit in material 12 into transverse pocket 38. The heating wire portion within pocket 38 is designated by 40 and extends toward length 27 of the heating wire but stops short thereof. At a suitable distance, short of tape 31, wire 40 is pulled through a slit in fabric 12 and becomes length 41 extending toward the head of the pad and laying on top of layer 12.

The heating wire is thus zig-zagged back and forth across the pad and the portions of the heating wire longitudinal of the pad are anchored and covered by tapes 43 and 44 respectively. Both of these tapes are preferably cut on the bias and in the case of tape 43, the entire length of the pad may be covered. Tape 44 extends from bottom end 45 of the pad toward strain panel 22. The heating wire extends back and forth across the pad and uses as many transverse pad pockets as are necessary. It may be observed that a region generally indicated by 46 at the head end of the pad is free of heating wire, except for the strain panel, and the parts of the wire going to or coming from the strain panel.

Region 46 will generally have a length perpendicular to lines of stitching 18 about equal to the width of the average pillow. In other words, the distance between the head edge of the pad and the top transverse length of heating Wire indicated by 47 may be of the order of about 18 inches or the like, said region being unnecessary to heat due to its being covered by a pillow.

The addition of tapes serves to stiffen the pad while protecting those portions of the heating wire which are outside the pad interior. The bias tape prevents any sharp bending and thus protects the heating wire.

The numerous transverse pad pockets 20 serve a twofold purpose. One is to provide for stiffening of the pad and protect against sharp creasing of the heating wire. Another is to provide numerous transverse pockets for accommodating various heating wires. The large number of pockets makes it possible to use the same pad stock and provide various wire footage in accordance with various wattage requirements. Thus one pad may have 3 for example 99 feet of heating wire disposed in a certain number of transverse pockets while another pad may have 70 feet of wire disposed in various pockets.

It is also possible to vary the distribution of heating wire by concentrating more footage in lower half of the pad or vice versa.

Thus for example, a heating Wire may be disposed in adjacent or alternate transverse pockets near the foot end of the pad and increase the heater spacing as the head end is approached. The pattern may have closer spacing of heater wires at the foot and head end and less at the median portion. All this may be accomplished by using the same pad stock.

It is also possible to provide more than one heating circuit for low or medium control. All this may be done without changing the pad stock. It is understood that the pad themselves may come in double bed or single bed size or any other desired size.

What is claimed is:

1. An electric mattress pad comprising a fabric pad containing at least two layers of fabric, said pad having a head and foot end, said pad having numerous transverse lines of stitching for providing pockets transversely of the pad, said pad having an edge binding for closing said pockets, an electric cord for connecting said pad to a source of electricity, means including a strain relief panel in a corner of the pad at the head end for anchoring an end of said cord to said pad, electric heating means including electric resistance wire carried by said pad, said resistance wire having a first length extending from said strain relief panel adjacent one longitudinal edge of the pad toward the foot end of said pad, said wire being disposed upon the outside of said pad, said wire passing through a slit in the fabric and entering a transverse pocket and extending toward the other longitudinal pad edge, said wire passing through a slit in the fabric from said pocket outside of said pad at a line parallel and adjacent to said other pad longitudinal edge, said who extending toward the head end of the pad outside of said pad, said wire thereupon passing through a slit in said fabric to a different transverse pocket and continuing in this zig-Zag fashion to extend along various transverse pockets and outside of said pad adjacent the two longitudinal edges, the longitudinal portions of said Wire adjacent the one pad edge being disposed parallel to the first length of wire on the side thereof remote from said one edge, said various longitudinal Wire portions lying in two parallel lines longitudinally of the pad, said heating Wire making its last transverse pass at a pocket spaced from the head edge of the pad at substantially the distance corresponding to a pillow Width and said wire passing into said strain relief panel and tapes longitudinal or" said pad providing pockets for said first length of wire and the longitudinal portions of said zig-zag wire and lines of stitching for retaining said tapes and providing pockets for the wire portions extending longitudinally of said pad.

2. The pad according to claim 1 wherein said tapes are cut on the bias.

3. The pad according to claim 1 wherein said lines of stitching are disposed approximately one inch apart thereby providing a large number of pockets and making possible wide variations in the layout of the heating wire and the length of the heating Wire for the same pad stock.

4. The pad according to claim 1 wherein three tapes are provided, one tape for the first length of heating wire and the other two tapes for the longitudinal lengths of the zigzag parts of the wire.

5. The construction according to claim 1 wherein said tapes are cut on the bias and the transverse lines of stitching are substantially one inch apart.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,215,610 Bloomer Feb. 13, 1917 1,375,863 Stanton Apr. 26, 1921 2,458,119 Van Daam Jan. 4, 1949 2,518,807 Musgrave et a1. Aug. 15, 1950 2,569,138 Abbott Sept. 25, 1951 2,623,150 Beecher, et al. Dec. 23, 1952 2,706,768 Kaplan Apr. 19, 1955 2,708,234 Kerr May 10, 1955 2,802,091 MacKendrick Aug. 6, 1957 

